James Franco is a movie critic. For the Paris Review. And his latest piece is a study of Twilight 4 and The Descendants which... I mean I guess I kind of love him for comparing boring The Descendants to the boring ass mess that was Twilight 4. Because, as you know, as I’ve noted a few times now, I feel like The Descendants is SO overrated (click here for my thoughts on the film) and I keep asking myself what I must be lacking to not be able to produce for myself the hard-on so many other people seem to have for it.

Not sure if it’s validating that James Franco seems to share the same opinion although he would probably tell me to think of it as a compliment. Fine. But then why does his article read like a high school book report? And what of objectivity?

Franco’s previous submission to this piece was an analysis of Gus Van Sant’s Restless. Movies like Restless, about young, attractive quirky lovers, one of whom gets sick, were made for me. I am predisposed, always and every day, to like them. And I... didn’t think much of Restless. It’s not that I don’t believe that Franco enjoyed it though, it’s just that I’m not exactly sure, given his close relationship and frequent fangirling over the director and the fact that his first entry for the Paris Review was also an exercise in fawning over Van Sant and, by extension, himself for his Van Sant-suggested reinterpretation of My Own Private Idaho which...

I mean can you imagine the f-cking ego you’d have to have...?

Franco’s been rather low key the last few months shooting the Oz movie and immersed in all his academic pursuits. I was just thinking about him the other day when I saw an Oscar campaign ad for The Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes. Oscars + Rise of The Apes. I know, right? Remember what a dick he was at the Oscars? Remember when Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes kicked some really surprising ass at the box office? This is why I love Hollywood. It’s so f-cking unpredictable.

Click here to read Franco’s comparison of Twilight vs The Descendants and click here for his review of Restless and here for whatever it is that he did with My Own Private Idaho. (Thanks Babs!)

Attached - photos I’ve not previously posted of Franco at the Austin Film Festival in October.